Show Notes
The global market for saw blades might be worth $16bn a year, but there’s only one saw factory left in the UK.
In today’s show we visit Sheffield’s Thomas Flinn & Co to learn how they’ve been cutting teeth for the past 100 years.
Number 39 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Musical Saw.
Director Katie Ellis’ family have owned the company for generations. She explains why heritage crafts must be preserved, how her company has pivoted to survive in the era of cheap imports, and why she’s moving to new premises – just don’t suggest leaving Sheffield.
We also learn how to file 200 teeth in under two minutes, get a quick explanation of how musical saws work, and find novel ways to use Lego.
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More from The Factory Next Door
It’s truly one of our greatest materials. We make shoes from it; clothes, books, bags and furniture. Leather is extraordinary.
For 500 years highland dress has been synonymous with Scotland, but these days there are more kilt-makers in India than within its home country.
You never quite know what you’re going to find when you visit one of our manufacturers.
When you need someone to escort the King’s crown to Parliament for the state opening, you call on his Majesty’s Gentleman at Arms – with their distinctive red and gold jackets. And when you need someone to make a new uniform for this historic corps, you call Jules Walker and her team at Gieves and Hawkes. Number 53 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Ceremonial Uniform. Jules is head of the tailor’s military team, and on today’s show she gives us a tour of her workshop in the basement of 1 Savile Row. We learn what it takes to make uniforms for the King’s Guards, discover what an epaulette is, and consider the parallels between tailoring and plumbing. Also on the show, we mull the need for a Ministry of Made in Britain and question why buyers from overseas appear to value our crafts more than we do. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The epicentre of the global pen industry used to reside in Birmingham. Then the plastic biro arrived and everything changed. But in the city’s jewellery quarter, a team of skilled silversmiths are ensuring the history of Birmingham’s pen industry continues to be written. Number 52 on our list of the greatest things we make here is the propelling pencil by YARD-O-LED. Owner Giles English shows us around the company’s historic workshop as we celebrate a 100-year-old design, admire irreplaceable machines, and learn the meaning behind the company’s distinctive name. Also on the show, we explore the power of loss, Giles talks about the birth and sale of the Bremont Watch Company, and we discover the important distinction between chasing and engraving. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.